Earth Bound
by Shesadreamer87
Summary: When Kelly, a Deep Cover Angel is assigned to be Vanessa's next door neighbor, a friendship forms and she is smack dab in the mist of her most rewarding and heart breaking case to date. Tag to the episode, " As It Is In Heaven". (AU)


All of God's angels are created by Him for a special purpose. Some are called to the Search and Rescue Department, where they are in charge of finding people who have been misplaced by some kind of disaster or have wondered away from their families (which is the case seen most often in children who have run away from home.) These are the angels that pull you out of burning buildings or horrific car accidents. Some angels have the title of Case Worker. They help people by delivering God's love on a case by case basis—helping people through difficult times that considered as urgent as Search and Rescue. There are the Angels Of Death, whose job is to be a comfort to people in their last moments and then help lead them back Home. And then, there was Kelly.

Kelly was in the Deep Cover department . These are the angels with the toughest jobs. These are the angels are in the thick of all the hardest of hardships . They are the ones that see the worst of what Earth has to offer and try to make it better any way that they can. Unlike other angels, Kelly was never to reveal her true identity to mortals—except under very special circumstances directed by the Father. Kelly had worked dozens of cases. Murder? She's seen it. Child abuse and neglect? She's been in the thick of it. It was her job to make sure that justice got served—at least Earthly justice. The final judgment was always the Father's call, not hers. She had been a lawyer for murder victims and their families, she had spoken with the cold hearted killers with no remorse for their crimes. She had been the social worker that had to delve through the red tape on the "bad cases", the ones where people were most harmed. Some worked out, others had not. Those were the heart breaking ones. Kelly hadn't worked an assignment in a long time. As much as she was enjoying the break, she felt the pull to go back out there again and help people. So, she approached the Father's throne and bowed before Him.

"Oh Kelly, my child, just the angel I was looking for.", The Lord spoke, His voice tender and loving.

"Yes, my Lord? How may I serve You?"

"There is a young woman named Vanessa Williamson living on the south side of Chicago . She has a son named Jesse who is not yet five months old. I'd like you to go down my child and get to know her. I'm assigning you to be her next door neighbor and to watch over the family on a six month trial period.

"Six months?! Father, I've never been on Earth for that long!" The most an assignment had lasted Kelly had been two months, watching over a four year old little girl named Michelle whose father had gone to prison for drunk driving with her mother in the car. The mother had been killed instantly and it was Kelly's job to watch over Michelle while she was in the system awaiting new foster parents who in turn would adopt the little one and keep her safe as her forever family This was the only time during her career in Deep Cover that the Lord allowed Kelly to break her cover and reveal herself as an angel, but she did so as Michelle's imaginary friend. Kelly did this because she was afraid of growing attached to the little girl. If she were there as an imaginary playmate- to appear only in times where she felt most needed, she could easily disappear without attachment and soon be replaced by a mermaid or flying unicorns Children had such vivid imaginations that Kelly did not worry about it becoming a problem.

As she processed this new assignment, Kelly's mind couldn't help but drift back to those two months several years ago caring for Michelle, the little girl with a head full of blond curls in pigtails , blue eyes as deep as the sea and dimples that popped up when she laughed She had to be eleven years old now—the time of imaginary friends long gone in favor of boy bands and whatever the latest craze was.

But Kelly remembered the times they played hide and seek in the court yard of the orphanage , the pictures they would draw together , and how Michelle would not go to sleep until she sang "Hush Little Baby" and "Amazing Grace" while curled up in the angel's safe embrace. Michelle would ask questions about God and where her Mommy and Daddy were. Kelly did her best to field her questions as best as she could. "Well, Sweet Girl, Mommy is in Heaven with God and the angels and, Daddy—well, Daddy went away.." was as far as the angel got.

There were always questions that broke Kelly's heart, questions that made her wish if only for a moment that she were mortal and could take away this little one's pain. If the angel had the option, she would adopt the precious girl that had stolen her heart in a heartbeat.

The Father's voice jarred Kelly from her thoughts as a tear slid down her face . "I know how close you were to Michelle. How much you loved her and wanted her for your own"

Kelly simply nodded There were no words to be spoken.

The Lord continued, "Which is why my child, you are the perfect angel for this assignment".

"Yes, Father, I'd be glad to help. Your Will be done!", Getting off her knees, Kelly moved to embrace her Heavenly Father, which He returned with a smile gently before breaking the embrace and patting her head.

"No matter what you may see my child, never forget that You are not alone. You can reach out to Me at any time and I will hear your call. There will be other angels joining your journey in due time, but for now, my child, you must go alone. Go now, Vanessa can't wait for very much longer. "

Kelly nodded and made her way out of the Lord's Throne Room and down to Earth , riding on a cloud. Unbeknownst to the angel, what awaited her was to be the most rewarding and heartbreaking assignment of all.


End file.
